Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson hopes the return of Charles Dunne can help them discover some elusive consistency.

Dunne played only his second Ladbrokes Premiership game of the season last weekend after being struck by two separate groin injuries.

The left-sided defender was a key member of the team that kept a club-record 20 clean sheets last season but they have only managed six so far this term, half of them in the Betfred Cup.

Robinson lost Cedric Kipre on the eve of the season to Wigan after Dunne’s injury and has chopped and changed his back three in recent weeks because of injury and suspension.

But with Dunne back and Peter Hartley fit again for Saturday’s trip to St Johnstone – who have kept seven clean sheets in eight matches – Robinson can start to build from the back again.

“What St Johnstone have done well is keep clean sheets and that’s the basis to build good performances and good results and climb the table,” said Robinson, whose team sit ninth in the table.

“That’s what we have to do. In the games we haven’t conceded we have probably gone on and won the game, because defensively we are good, especially when we go 1-0 up.

“That’s our basis, it can’t be pretty, attractive football and total football – we don’t have the capability to do that for 90 minutes.

“In the last six months of the season it was Charles, Cedric and Tom (Aldred) in the back three and Dunney back is a huge bonus for us.

“It gives us the pace that we don’t have in the backline, which means you can press the game higher up the pitch with a safety net.

“Young Christian (Mbulu) has come in and done well and adds pace, but Charles is the best athlete I have ever worked with in football.

“He has so much potential to go and play at a higher level. There are clubs hovering around over him. Hopefully we don’t lose him but if he can stay fit with his attributes, I’m very confident he can play at the top, top level.”